Guest Blog: Mommy + Baby Yoga with Zen Landing Yoga
This week’s guest blog is brought to us by the wonderful Jess-Rae co-owner of Zen Landing Yoga!
Jess-Rae participated in the very first yoga teacher training at Grow Yoga in 2015. She often refers to her yoga teacher training as her rebirth. Becoming a yoga teacher ignited her authentic self and allowed her the courage to follow her true passions. In 2017, she became a Licensed Massage Therapist. Combining a love for serving others, human anatomy and a healing touch, Jess-Rae continues to assist people in their journey to become the best version of themselves through yoga, massage and mindfulness. She is also a Reiki Master and has attended many other yoga trainings such as prenatal yoga, yin yoga, creative sequencing, kids yoga and several trauma-informed yoga trainings. Jess-Rae is a mama to 3 beautiful girls: Delilah, Tallulah and Fiona.
With all of these amazing attributes and qualifications, she made an awesome “Quick Morning Routine” program for Mommy + Baby Yoga.
Jess-Rae gifts us with the awesome routine below, featuring her tiniest daughter, 13 month old Fiona.
Mommy & Me Yoga is a great way to connect with your breath, your baby and most importantly, yourself. Props needed: pillow, blanket, mat
This routine can be done at any time throughout the day. Babies 6+ weeks will benefit the most. Fiona pictured here is 13 months. While it was a little difficult to keep her engaged, these poses were mostly the same exact poses I did with her when she was an itty bitty baby calming laying on her blanket.
I like to connect by simply holding Baby in my lap in easy pose (criss cross apple sauce) with a pillow behind my low back for support. If your hips are especially tight, butterfly pose with the soles of your feet pressed together, knees wide works well too.
Find stillness and take 3-5 long deep breaths. It’s ok if Baby is wiggling or trying to move. Do the best you can.
Fiona’s idea of connection was creating a game of whipping her head back and forth. After about 3 breaths, I followed her movements. Hearing her little giggles were just the stress relief I needed. After all, have some fun!
Lay Baby down on a blanket. Straddle your legs around baby. Make a circle with your pointer and thumb and gently wrap them around Baby’s ankles. Then guide Baby’s knees to chest.
Once Baby’s knees meet their chest, extend their legs for a long stretch. Do this about 5 times, while making eye contact and counting each rep or saying In, Out! In, Out!
These poses are great for colicky babies to get gas in their belly moving. It’s also great for building range of motion and increasing flexibility in baby’s hips.
Next, reach for Baby’s hands. Place your thumb in their palm and wrap your fingers around their hand. Gently guide baby’s arms away from their midline, into a T.
You can practice big breaths here. Inhale when arms opens, exhale when arms cross.
After the big stretch open, guide Baby’s arms across the midline to cross at the chest. You can say “Big stretch!” or “Open!” on the stretch and “Big hug!” or “Close” on the criss cross.
Next, stand up with Baby in hand. Step your left foot to the back of your mat. Bend your right knee over your right ankle. If baby has good head control, you can sit them on your front thigh facing out, or on your right hip. If Baby does not have good head control yet, you can place them on your chest or keep them on their back on the floor.
Do the same for both sides. After holding the pose for 3-5 breaths, babies with good head control can be lifted overhead for a fun airplane ride!
After Warrior I on each side, turn your feet out to point toward the top corners of your mat, Goddess pose. Position Baby facing your chest and hold one hand behind Baby’s head and one hand under Baby’s bottom.
Hold Baby upright, take a big breath in and on the exhale lower baby down in front of you while you squat. You can make a “whooshing” sound while swinging baby. Then lift baby back to chest, checking to make sure they are not protesting the movement.
For older babies, you can face them away from you as you hold under their chest and hips. Lower them to the ground like an airplane and then lift back up.
Continue movement 5-7 times.
Stand up from Goddess pose and walk your feet together. Holding Baby on your hip, in front of you or even laying on the ground, find tree pose. Stay for 3 breaths. Repeat on the other side.
Slowly make your way down to the floor and lay on your back. Bend your knees and place both feet flat on the floor, facing 12 o’clock, Bridge pose.
Sit Baby in a straddle over your hips, or leaning against your thighs. Lift your hips and give Baby a ride! You can hold for 3-5 breaths or pulse up and down 10 times. Continue to hold Baby’s hands or arms so that they don’t fall.
From bridge pose, lower your hips to the floor. Sit up to a seat, place baby on their tummy (just like tummy time) resting on your shins. For older babies, turn them around to sit facing away from you as shown in the picture.
Lift your shoulders and legs off the floor, so that just your sitz bones are connected to the mat, Boat pose. You can lift and lower your shins to give baby a ride or hold for 3 breaths. Slowly lower Baby safely down to the floor.
Lower your legs to the ground with Baby still resting on your shins and fold forward. You can make silly faces, tickle or blow raspberries at your baby while you hold the pose for 3-5 breaths.
Lay back down on your back and place the soles of your feet together with your knees splayed wide. Or, walking your feet out to the edges of your mat and letting your knees fall inward help support the low back. You may also choose to extend your legs long and rest them on the mat.
Let Baby rest on your chest or at your feet if they’re mobile.
Fiona decided she was done and ready to move on. I was sad she didn’t want to cuddle, but took the opportunity to take a few deep breaths to myself, allowing gratitude to wash over me and thanking my body for all it has done to keep myself and my baby healthy and happy.
Namasté friends!
Dr. Mora back again and I’d like to thank Jess-Rae for this wonderful flow for Mommy + Baby. Practically Perfect PT will also be offering a Workshop at Zen Landing Yoga on October 4th from 1 – 3 pm to learn all about the pelvic floor and how to keep it healthy, especially during pregnancy and after child birth!
Reserve your spot at zenlandingyoga.com!
